Gas and oil well tubing and cutter assembly



C. T. TURNER GAS AND OIL WELL TUBING AND CUTTER ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 10, 1960 P /D. v MR JmW Fm a mm w, 1N a w W C n Y B United Stat Patent 3,004,338 GAS AND OIL WELL TUBING AND ,CUTTER ASSEMBLY Clyde T. Turner, 5615 S. Lewis Ave., Tulsa, Okla.

Filed Aug. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 48,691 4 Claims.- (Cl. 30101) Thepresent invention relatesto gas and oil well tubing and cutter assemblies, and more particularly to tubing cutters adapted to cut vertically disposed tubing at relatively inaccessible locations.

In the placement of" gas and oil well tubing such as casing, it is customary to support a length of casing on a casing support and thereafter cut oif the upper end of the casing a short distance above the casing support and apply a casing head with means 'for the removal of any casing head gas that may be discharged from the well. A recent such assembly is shown in my copending application entitled Gas and Oil Well Casing Head Assembly, filed August 10, 1960, Serial No. 48,692. In the past, the operation of cutting off the upper end of the casing has been rather difiicult, as the casing support is ordinarily in a relatively inaccessible location.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide gas and oil well tubing and cutter assemblies designed to cut off gas and oil well tubing such as casing a short distance above a casing head.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of tubing cutters adapted to cut tubing in relatively inaccessible locations.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to pro vide tubing cutters and gas and oil well tubing and cutter assemblies which will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, maintain and repair, and rugged and durable in use. d

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a tubing cutter assembly according to the present invention in place on a section of well casing;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side cross-sectional view of structure shown in FIGURE 1 adjacent the bottom. of the tubing cutter;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the upper end of the tubing enter and showing the guide rollers;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a guide roller of the type shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a cutting element of the type shown in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the cutting elements adjacent the bottom of the tubing cutter.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown a gas and oil well tubing and cutter assembly including a tubing support comprising a casing support 1 having an exposed annular upper edge 3 disposed in a horizontal plane. Casing support 1 is of the type adapted to support a plurality of wedge-shaped slips 5, the outer surfaces of which are complementary to and slide against downwardly inwardly converging tapered surfaces of the casing suport, thereby to grasp and hold a length of tubing comprising a length of casing 7 under the weight of the casing.

To cut off the casing a short distance above the casing support, a tubing cutter is provided, indicated generally at 9, comprising an elongated vertically disposed cylindrical sleeve 11 mounted concentrically on but spaced a short distance outwardly from casing 7 and in Patented Oct. 17, 1961 ice encircling relationship therewith. Sleeve 11 has outwardly extending portions 13 at eachend thereof, each portion 13 being provided with an inwardly opening recess. The portions 13 at the lower end sleeve 11 are of rectangular cross-section and snugly slideably receiving a plurality of radially slideable peripherally spaced apart rectangular blocks 15, on each of which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis a circular cutting element 17 exposed to the interior of the sleeve and having a circular cutting edge disposed in a horizontal plane. The axes of rotation of cutting elements 17 are parallel to each other and to the common axis of the casing 7 and sleeve 11. Each block 15 rotatably receives on its outer side the head of a horizontal screw 19, which extends through and. is in screw-threaded engagement with the outer side 'wallof the corersponding recessed portion 13. A handle 21 is secured to the outer end of each screw 19 for turning the screw to move the screw horizontally radially of the casing and sleeve, and with it the corresponding block 15 and cutting element 17.

The recessed portions 13 at the upper end of sleeve 11 similarly receive each a radially slideable rectangular block 23 to hold the same against all relative movement other than radial movement; but unlike block 15, blocks 23 are each provided with a roller 25 mounted thereon for rotation about parallel vertical axes and exposed to the interior of the sleeve, each roller 25 having a cylindrical outer contact face, the axis of the cylinder coinciding with the axis of rotation of the roller and being parallel to the common axis of the casing and sleeve. Like blocks 15, blocks 23 are provided with screws 27 having an enlarged head rotatably received in the block and a shank in screw-threaded engagement with the outer wall of the corresponding recessed portion 13, and a handle 29 on the outermost end of the screw. In this way, the rollers are adaptable for contact with tubing of different diameters.

Each recessed portion 13 at the lower end of sleeve 11 is provided with a pair of radially spaced apart downwardly depending cars 31, between which is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis a roller 33, there being three recessed portions 13 at each of the top and bottom of sleeve 11 in the illustrated embodiment, and hence,

three rollers 33, the axes of which are disposed in a common horizontal plane. Rollers 33 ride on exposed annular upper edge 3 of the casing support thereby to sup port the tubing cutter at the desired elevation and properly to space cutting elements 17 from the casing support. Rollers 33 are disposed below and radially outwardly of cutting elements 17.

To cut off a length of tubing, it is necessary only to slip the sleeve over the upper end of the tubing until rollers 33 rest on exposed upper edge 3 of the casing support. Then, by manipulation of handles 21 and 29, the cutting elements 17 and rollers 25 are moved radially inwardly until they contact the tubing. Cutting elements 17 are tightened down until they tend to cut into the tubing; while rollers 25 are tightened down just suffieiently to maintain the upper end of sleeve 11 coaxial with the tubing.

Upon rotation of the sleeve, the rotatable cutting elements 1 will turn about the periphery of the tubing and cut into the outer skin of the tubing. At the same time, rollers 33 will ride upon exposed upper edge 3 and will maintain cutting elements 17 in a single horizontal plane no matter what rotated position sleeve 11 assumes. To rotate sleeve 11, any suitable means may be used; but it is highly convenient to take advantage of the length of sleeve 11 by looping an endless rope about sleeve 11 in a running turn and circulating it in the manner of a catline.

From time to time, it will be noted that sleeve 11 turns easily on the pipe, for cutting elements 17 will have completed a cutting function for their particular setting. At those times, rotation of the sleeve will be discontinued and handles 21 manipulated to move the cutting elements another increment of distance radially inwardly to make a further and'deepercut, until the casing is finally cut through. Naturally, the first setting of rollers 25 isthe final setting thereof.

. From a consideration-of the foregoing description, it will be obvious that all of the initially recited objects of thepresent invention have been achieved.

It is to be understood that the appended claims are to beaccorded a range of 'equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the prior art.

What is claimed is:

l. Aztubing cutter comprising a sleeve, a plurality of cutting elements mounted internally of the sleeve for rotation about vertical axes parallel to each other and to the axis of the sleeve, and-a plurality of rollers mounted onthe sleeve below and radially outwardly of the cutting elements for rotation about axes which extend radially of the axis of the sleeve and which are disposed in a common horizontal plane.

2. A tubing cutter as claimed in claim 1 and means for bodily adjusting the position of the cutting elements radially of the axis of the sleeve.

3. A tubing cutter comprising an elongated vertically disposed sleeve, a plurality of cutting element-s mounted internally of the sleeve adjacent the lower end thereof for rotation about vertical-axes-parallel to each other and to the axis of the sleeve, a plurality of rollers mounted internally of the sleeve adjacent the upper end thereof for rotation-about vertical axes parallel-to each other and to the axis of the sleeve, anda plurality of rollers mounted on the sleeve below and radially outwardly of the cutting elements for rotation about axes which extend radially of the axis of the sleeve and which are disposed in a common horizontal plane.

4. A tubing cutter as claimed in claim 3, and means for bodily adjusting the position of the cutting members and upper rollers radially of the axis of the sleeve.

No references cited. 

